Magnetism
by Suchan and Twelve
Summary: Ch7 up-SLASH. The magnet boy wants Asa out of the way so he can get to Manfred. Disaster strikes, Asa leaves for Wilmington. AxM, JoshxM, AxDale-OC, some AxSam Boldova -this is being continued. Upped rating for safety.
1. Small Potatoes

Magnetism

By Corpus Badchild

Disclaimer: Own "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", I do not. Claim it, I will not. Sue me, you shouldn't. Own Yoda either, I do not. But fun to talk like him, it is.

Warnings: Castle of Mirrors spoilers, so if you haven't read the book, you won't understand the opening.

_:P_

_Magnetism._

Chapter 1: Small Potatoes

"Why'd you have to go and say that for?" Asa asked sulkily as he and Manfred walked back to his office.

"Say what?" Manfred murmured.

"Saying I'm 'the opposite of a genius'. It hurts, you know. You could have just said I'm repeating senior year—"

"Sorry, darling." Manfred kissed him quickly, and Asa got the slightest bit more disappointed. He knew Manfred didn't mean his apology at all. He was a selfish bastard, Asa knew, but he himself was one as well. It all evens out, I suppose, he thought. But his heart still sank. Two of a kind. He still wished Manfred had really apologised. His lack of sincerity stung worse than his earlier remark.

And the Tilpin boy, there was something weird about him. No one else besides Asa had ever made Manfred smile before. There was something very, very wrong going on. Asa opened his mouth to complain about it, but Manfred cut him off.

"Shh. We need to talk." He and Asa plopped down unceremoniously into the beanbags near the fireplace. Despite most presumptuous assumptions, Manfred's office was not a grey and dreary place of work. Oh, sure. The area around the desk was. The remainder of the office was comfortable and full of dark, elegant colours. Asa thought it was pretty groovy.

"Is this about the horse again?"

"Yeah, it is." Manfred squidged his mouth to show he wasn't at all looking forward to the chat, either. "It's been all galloping-around-the-schoolyard and it hasn't wanted to hurt anyone. It's been a bit afraid, sort of, and …benevolent," he spat the word like something unpleasant. "Grandfather just wanted to know where you found the ….you know." Asa stared impudently into Manfred's eyes.

"It was dark," Asa started off with a sigh. "A patch of earth past the ruins smelled different from the rest, so I dug it up. There was a casket with a heart, and a bunch of horse bones, which were pretty gross, by the way. The casket had a 'B' on it, so I figured it was the one he wanted." The wolf boy shrugged. "So it's not Borlath, is it?"

Manfred bit at one of his nails. After a silence, he mumbled, "The Queen's name was Berenice." Asa couldn't help but giggle.

"Oh, God. And the horse?"

"Her mare."

Asa burst out into hysterics. Manfred glared darkly at him. "Just _what_ is so funny, Asa! Grandfather's been raving and screaming and throwing things—I nearly had my head taken off!"

Asa coughed and settled down a bit. He smiled. "I'm sorry. Having your head nearly taken off isn't funny, but doesn't it seem like he's always getting things wrong? Maybe that's supposed to be telling us something, right?" Manfred stared out the window, past the black, floor-length curtains appropriate for the medieval window, and said, "I don't know." His eyes were dark in thought.

Asa climbed into his lap and snuggled close to his love. He sighed, breathing in that smell of ink, candles and flame that usually accompanied Manfred. If love were a perfume, he thought, it would smell like ink, candles and flame. "What are you thinking about, love?"

"I'm trying to clear my head of thought." He held Asa closer. "I'm thinking, if someone could bottle the scent of pure sweetness, it would smell like you."

"Hmm…"

Slightly annoyed at the reception of this romantic thought, Manfred looked down at him. "'Hmm', what?"

"I was thinking the same thing about you." Asa smiled, and closed his eyes, warm against Manfred's chest. Across the stars billowed a faint, white wisp and then it was gone again. (1)

:P

School followed the next day, and Asa resented every minute. It was easy this year, except for that _damned_ math. Asa used half an hour of his homework time every night to go over the day's work with Mr. Newton. The first day Asa came in late, Manfred glared at him.

"Where have you been?"

"Mr. Newton was helping me with my math," Asa responded just as stonily.

Everyone who had been watching went back to their work. Manfred shrugged, and Asa rolled his eyes. They shared a secret smile and Asa took his place and opened up the dread math book.

Joshua gave him a funny look underneath his bangs. He had been watching the two the entire time. There was something going on between them. Something that was an obstacle to wrapping Manfred completely around his finger.

He had a feeling.

Just a hunch of course, but a feeling all the same.

He had a feeling the obstacle…was Asa.

:P

One night Asa spent his entire homework period going over those stupid matrices. Load of rubbish, they were. When was he going to apply this to real life? He was going to be an artist. Artists had no need for math and logic. They followed their hearts………ugh! Lord help him.

Asa's mother, upon insistent pleas, had consented to transfer Asa to the art department, where he was much a happier boy. His mediums tended toward black-and-white, but, what the hell. Imagination and heart was a big part of life.

Asa closed the door of Mr. Newton's classroom, and sighed. Manfred was leaning against the other wall, watching him. "We missed you tonight."

"Yeah, well, sorry. I have the headmaster's permission."

And as they walked toward Asa's dormitory, holding hands, Manfred added, "_I _missed you tonight." Asa stopped and looked at him. He smiled.

"Yeah." Manfred noticed a familiar sparkle in Asa's eye. "Well, come on, then. Bedtime." They resumed walking in the direction of the West Wing. Joshua Tilpin stepped out from behind a sculpted column and scowled. Asa would have to be done away with. That much was certain.

:P

Asa shuffled out into the hallway in his bare feet and pyjamas. "Joshua Tilpin, what in God's name are you doing?" He yawned.

Joshua looked at him, moonlight in his eyes and cold night breeze ruffling his hair. "Wouldn't you like to fly, Asa? Like Emma, just forget all your cares and let the wind take you wherever, far away from your troubles?"

Asa immediately thought of his Algebra II homework. But he narrowed his eyes. "What are you trying to do?" Asa knew the second Joshua smiled at him, he had to hold onto his senses.

An image of leaping out the open window, wings spread wide, the night air rushing at him, flooded his mind. It was painful, and difficult, but he forced himself to see his limp body crushed on the pavement below. He shook his head to clear it, and smiled like a knife. "Nice try, Joshua," Asa whispered dangerously. "The next time you try your mind tricks on me, it _will_ be your _last._" Joshua glared back at him. It seemed like their angry eyes were locked like swords for ages.

Joshua smirked, and chuckled. "Soon I'll have him wrapped around my finger, and there will be nothing you can do to stop it. He likes me. He'll never believe a bad word you say about me."

"Get to your dormitory or it's detention for you, Tilpin," he growled.

With another dangerous leer, Joshua Tilpin made his way down the hallway and into his own dormitory. Asa slammed the window shut with a bang! Adian Fuller shouted, "Stop it, man, we're trying to sleep!" which brought shouts of "Shut up, Ade!" and "Go to sleep!"

"Shut up, all of you, or everybody'll get detentions for a month," Asa snarled, furious from lack of sleep and Joshua's threats. The only sound was sheets rustling and Asa's bed creaking as he flopped down into it. Ugh. Children.

He hated children.

:P

"Manfred, you have to be careful around that boy. He's after you."

Manfred tilted his head. "Which?"

"Tilpin." Asa's serious face made Manfred smile mischievously.

"Asa."

"What." Asa realised he had spit the word with more venom than he intended, but Manfred's smile turned into an all-knowing grin.

"You're jealous," he sang, poking Asa in the nose.

"And why shouldn't I be? The boy tried to kill me last night! To get me out of the way so he could have a go at you!" Manfred stopped, put a hand on his hip.

"Asa, Joshua doesn't mean any harm. You probably had a nightmare. Maybe he just seems unfriendly because you aren't nice to him. Try it. It may work wonders. And what would he want with me?"

Manfred resumed flipping through his file cabinet.

"Sweetheart, you're not _hearing_ me," Asa cajoled in a sweet voice, slowly turning angry. "He tried to make me kill myself last night!"

"Asa…" Manfred turned around, walked over to the distraught boy, and placed his hands on either side of Asa's face. "Darling, Joshua Tilpin does not want to kill you. I think you had a very frightening, very real dream." Manfred kissed him once, then twice, and again. "Just give him a chance, mm?"

"Kiss me again, I might agree."

Manfred raised an eyebrow at him.

Asa frowned in exasperation. "Alright." He leaned his head on Manfred's chest. Manfred hugged him tightly.

"Things will work out. You'll see."

:P

Asa poked at his lunch, hardly eating anything. Joshua Tilpin plopped down beside him, cheerfully. "Why so glum, Asa?"

Asa turned and made a WHATTHEFUCK! face at Manfred. The new teacher's assistant shrugged, smiled, and made a shooing motion with his hand. Asa stuck out his lip, and turned back to Joshua. "Just having an off day."

Joshua smirked at him and said quietly, "He didn't believe you, did he?"

Eyes wide with flaring anger, Asa grabbed the back of Joshua's head and pushed his face into his plate of mashed potatoes. As Joshua sputtered and wiped the potatoes out of his eyes, Asa flung open the doors, made sure they produced a loud noise, and stormed out of the room.

After some frantic where-should-I-go, Asa found his feet moving him toward the painting room. Miss Hart looked up, startled by his abrupt entrance. Her face was moved with pity, for she viewed Asa as a promising student and hated to see him upset. "Asa, whatever is the matter?"

Asa's eyes and nose were burning with tears. He closed the door quietly and pulled a stool up to her desk. "Can I talk to you?"

"Of course."

"I need help. It's about the Tilpin boy."

"Ah." Miss Hart nodded. She had had a negative feeling about him from the start.

"He's tearing at my emotions. Nobody believes me that this boy is truly evil." Asa stifled a sobbing shudder. "I caught him out in the hallway, outside my dormitory, with the window open and he …he places these images in your head and pulls you towards acting on them…he tried to make me want to jump out the window. He's got it in for me, and no one believes me!"

Miss Hart frowned and picked up her pen. "This sounds serious, Asa. I'd better let the headmaster know."

"He's not going to believe you!" Asa shouted, standing up and walking around agitatedly. "No one does! Everyone loves the stupid boy and Manfred thinks it was a dream and that I should give him a chance, and I tried to be nice to him, and he's all like, 'He didn't believe you, did he?' so I pushed his head into his potatoes and …and now I'm in here," he finished quietly. He sat down, put a hand to his head and stared pleadingly at the art teacher. "What do I do?"

"If he tries to hurt you again, let me know first thing. And then we'll go to the headmaster." She put a hand on his shoulder. "I believe you. Just leave, and come directly to me."

"What if you've got a class?"

"Just barge on in."

Asa smiled in relief, and a tear finally fell from his eye, and another, and then several. "Thank you." Miss Hart smiled at him softly and offered him a box of tissues.

:P

"Asa, the headmaster wants you." Manfred stared sombrely at him, and pointed to the office door. Asa ignored him completely and knocked on the door.

"Enter."

Asa pushed the enormous door open, and shut it behind him without a backward glance. "Yes, sir."

"Sit." Asa sat. "What's this I hear about you pushing Joshua Tilpin's head into his mashed potatoes at lunch today?"

"Well, sir, I got a very bad impression from him the first day he was here, and Manfred thought I should just give him another chance. I tried to be nice to him. But the other night, you know he's magnetic, right? He put these thoughts in my head of jumping out the window, trying to kill me. It was a fourth floor window! I tried to fight him off and sent him off to bed, and now no one believes me because they all hate me and just _adore _little Joshua Tilpin.

"Sir," he added, "today at lunch, he started a casual, polite conversation, I answered politely, and then he whispered to me, 'Manfred didn't believe you, did he?' And I just couldn't take it, sir." He bowed his head. "I know I was out of line."

"That you were." Dr. Bloor frowned and stroked his black beard. "But what you say about Joshua Tilpin is interesting. I shall keep an eye on him."

"Thank you, sir."

"However," he continued more loudly, training his black gaze fiercely on Asa, "the fact remains that you acted out in a _hideous_ way against a _new_ _student_. You, a twice-over senior, should know how to control yourself."

Asa hung his head. "Since detention seems to be a happy event for you, you will not be staying here on Saturday. You will go home, and will not be allowed to return here until Tuesday." Asa stared at him, horrified.

"Do I," the headmaster said, leaning forward, "_make myself clear?_"

"Yessir."

"Good. Dismissed."

Asa bowed his head, and left.

:P

(1) : Woohoo for sapsiness. I was really pleased with that scene.

R&R kids? thanks!


	2. Lodestone Mallet

Chapter 2: Lodestone Mallet

Manfred was waiting for him. He opened his arms and Asa fell into them. "Still in one piece, love?"

"Almost." Asa wanted to sob, but he had never cried in front of Manfred and doubted he ever would. Manfred would think he was weak. "I have to go home on Friday and not return until Tuesday."

"You'll miss the art trip."

"What? Awwwwwugh…this sucks."

"You can go anyway. You can drive, can't you?"

"Yeah," Asa said slowly, a lightbulb brightening over his head. "I think I'll see you there."

But it was only Tuesday. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday had to come first. And Monday. Monday he would sort-of and not-really join the class at the nearby Robert Clayton Museum of Historical and Moderne Art. He was really looking forward to the trip.

Dr. Bloor knew exactly how to punish him. Friends with Manfred, hell, no, boy! You don't get just any conventional detention! You get taken away from the things you love. That, my dear children, is punishment. And you can take that to the bank.

Although torturous, Asa made it through the week without another major murder attempt from Joshua, although the boy sent several dangerous stares in his direction when Asa got all lovey-dovey with Manfred. It was almost amusing, the way Joshua seethed. Asa knew he had the upper hand. And was it ever delicious!

Just like Manfred, only better.

Mrs. Pike called up the stairs. "Asa, honey, breakfast!"

"I'll be right down, Mom!"

Asa combed through his hair and added a thick outline of black eyeliner. After a minute of frowning and thinking, he pulled his hair up into a ponytail and put on a black jacket.

He really wasn't supposed to be there, anyway. No one should be able to recognise him. Finally satisfied, he bounded down the stairs and skidded to a stop in front of his seat at the table. Christian's mouth dropped open.

"Mama!" he wailed, "how come Asa gets to slide around in his socks and I ain't?"

"Asa, don't slide around in your socks, it's dangerous." Mrs. Pike didn't look up from pouring waffle batter.

"I can control my steps, mom. 'S like ice skating" He stuck his tongue out at his little brother, who in turn spit with an unpractised tongue at him.

"Christian, _no_ spitting." It was a good thing their mother had put down the bowl of waffle batter before she turned around, or she would have dropped it to the floor and shattered the bowl, just _ruining_ the waffle batter. "Asa Pike, _what_ in God's name have you done to yourself?"

"It's called disguise, Ma. I'm going to the art museum."

"You can go to the art museum any old day. Why today? You aren't supposed to be having fun. This is a detention after all." Asa imitated her, putting his hand on his hip and tilting his head, a disapproving frown on his face.

"Ma, please? I really don't want to miss it. And besides, we have to write a paper, too……" He stared at her pleadingly.

She smiled. He knew she hated, absolutely HATED Dr. Bloor, and he used this to every advantage he could find. (She loved Manfred, however—"Aren't you the sweetest thing? Here, have another helping!" Asa would make a gagging noise and Manfred would kick him under the table.) "Alright. But you have some breakfast first, you hear? I've got eggs and waffles for you."

"They're good!" Christian offered, mouth full of half-chewed waffle.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, kid." Asa grabbed an omelette and leaned against the counter, chewing slowly. "This is good, Ma."

"Don't talk with your mouth full, kid!" Christian piped.

Asa glared at him. He swallowed. "Thanks, Ma, I gotta go." He kissed her forehead and stepped into his beat-up old sneakers by the door, grabbed his keys and ruffled Christian's hair. "See yas."

"Be-have your-self," said Christian forcefully.

"I will..." Asa smiled and shook his head. He closed the door.

Asa found himself whistling "Cheer Up, Charlie" from some chocolate factory movie that he hadn't seen in ages. Except, since Charlie Bone was a stupid bugger who annoyed Manfred and the rest of the Bloors, and was so annoying an optimist, he changed the word 'Charlie' to 'darling'. And it worked that way.

"Cheer up, darling," he sang in a whisper, shifting into third to avoid a red traffic light, "give me a smile. Where is that smile that I used to know?" Unfortunately, smiling made him remember Joshua, who, being in art, would also be at the art museum.

Ugh.

Children. Stupid children.

How he hated children.

If ever the occasion presented itself to have or adopt children, he would be severely opposed. He nodded forcefully to himself, and just barely missed being hit by a stupid driver who tried to take off his rear bumper as he parked.

"Bastard." He would have to do something terribly serious to get Joshua out of the way again. He had a growing pit of dread in his stomach that the boy would cause trouble for him today, trouble that could end up in expulsion. Or the fate of that Sparks boy. And Manfred would hate him forever.

He put on a rather tight white hoodie instead of the leather jacket, as the weather was warmer than he expected for mid-September. As he locked the car, he watched the reflection of his (rather nice) stomach in the tinted window. Asa smiled. He was glad he worked out every night.

He grabbed his backpack and headed toward the doors of the museum.

He pulled a pencil and notebook out of his bag and rummaged around for the assignment on aesthetic scanning and art history reports. He tucked them away between the covers and stared at the map.

Hmm…_Maybe I'll just browse for a while…could be fun…_

He headed off in the direction of prehistoric and ancient art.

"Excuse me, miss…" Asa raised an eyebrow as he turned to look at the speaker. It was Joshua Tilpin. The boy giggled nervously. "Oh, it's you. I thought you were supposed to be in detention."

Asa frowned at him. "You still have potatoes in your nose."

"Do not!" But Joshua still stuck a finger in his nose to clear out unwanted vegetable residue. He stopped, still in an embarrassing position. "Hey! Wait!…" But Asa walked off, chuckling. He turned around and Manfred shook his head at the boy, and loped off in Asa's direction.

He caught up to Asa and wrapped an arm around his waist from behind, kissed his cheek. "Hello, my love. You look delicious today."

"Hey." He smiled cutely at Manfred. "Aren't children disgusting?"

"Completely."

Joshua Tilpin fumed at them from the doorway of the Impressionism hall. He rubbed his nose again, just to be sure. That shape-shifter was gonna get it. In the ass. Joshua was going to make sure he never laid a hand on Manfred again.

Manfred and Asa had chosen different pieces to write their paper on, in different halls, so they parted ways; Manfred to the Renaissance and Asa to the Modern. Joshua followed Asa, although his piece was in the impressionism hall. Asa glanced over his shoulder from time to time, sensing that he was being followed, but his sharp gaze never detected Joshua darting from pillar to pillar.

One of the security guards eyed the boy suspiciously. He pulled out his walkie-talkie and mumbled, "Brady, I'm gonna keep an eye on some kid… he's making me nervous."

"Alright, Jerry, I'll cover your post."

"Thanks."

Jerry stuck his talkie back in his holster and made sure he could keep the sneaky kid in his sights. Jerry knew what troublemakers looked like, and this kid looked like a troublemaker. He limped along discreetly after them, suspiciously leering, the scar in the corner of his left eye barely visible.

He knew the kid had a plan (he had no idea how he knew), and it was making him nervous. But he couldn't throw the child out without evidence. He had a bad feeling about this.

:P

Asa finished his aesthetic scanning fairly quickly, and still couldn't shake off the funny feeling someone was following him. He noticed Joshua scribbling in his notebook in front of a work of Matisse. Asa eyed him warily. "Stupid kid." Before Joshua could possibly be done with his piece, Asa scurried away, hoping against hope and praying silently that Joshua would not follow.

Oh…shit. The corridor leading to modern art was lined with sculptures and constructions of nothing other than…glass. He heard footsteps behind him. Joshua regarded him with a cool, collected smirk. The magnetic boy couldn't believe his luck.

"Trying to run away, Asa, dear?" He stepped forward, and Asa backed away from him, stepping into the hall of glass. "Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Such a pity that glass is transparent."

"You stay away from me," Asa growled, feral eyes flashing, scanning for a way out. Joshua's smile dropped to a snarl.

"I told you I wouldn't take no for an answer," Joshua continued, almost nonchalant with the edge of a knife hidden under his words. "And I can't have him, until I…destroy you." Joshua backed Asa into an expensive, valuable, and irreplaceable black and yellow glass vase. ("Stop!" hissed Asa. Jerry walked curiously after them, pretending to be interested in an inverted glass sculpture. Even with his reflexes, he wasn't prepared for Joshua's next move.)

"You will not stand in my way," the boy whispered, his voice inhuman and full of malice. He pushed Asa into falling into the pedestal, his hand, trying to catch himself, knocking the vase to the floor. Asa fell onto his ass the same moment the glass shattered on the stone floor.

"You klutz! Look what you've done!" Asa shouted angrily as three more guards, hearing the crash, rushed into the room.

Joshua quickly put on a hurt face and whimpered, "Me? You're just trying to blame it on me! They saw you, you can't try to frame me!" And he burst into tears. Asa made an incredulous face, and cried, "I don't believe this!" as he picked himself off the floor.

"I saw you push the vase, kid. Be a man and admit it," one of the guards said, pinning Asa's arms behind him in a death grip. Asa knew Joshua's magnetic pull had to be effecting these men and woman.

"What? You don't understand, it was him! He's trying to frame me!"

"He's right, I think," said Jerry. Asa looked at him, trying to figure out why the man chose _now _to speak up, of all times. "The little one pushed him."

"Jerry, you were all the way over there and since your injury, you haven't been seeing straight. Just take a load off, alright? All three of us against you won't look good to the Man." The lady guard glared at people rubbernecking around them. "Shoo! This isn't a work of art! Come on, kid, we'll let the curator deal with you."

The last guard picked up Asa's assignment and brought up the rear as Asa was marched down to the curator's office.

"Name?"

"Asa Pike."

"Address?"

"220 Garnet Drive, the Heights."

The curator stared stonily at him over tiny spectacles. "We'll be sending you a bill for the vase, and if you can't pay it off, you'll work it off in community service with all the other delinquents. Do you realise how valuable that piece was to our collection?" The man's watery eyes annoyed Asa. "I don't see why you couldn't leave your bullying for outside the museum, where there wouldn't be a chance of anything breaking."

"Bullying!" Asa muttered. The guard tightened his grip on Asa's shoulder.

The curator again glared, and continued, "From all the argument I've been informed of at the scene, however, I can conclude this was a purposeful act of vandalism." The curator capped his pen and said quietly, "I'm sorry, Asa, but you are no longer welcome here in our museum."

Asa stared hopelessly at his hands, a small spark of anger still ignited among the cinders. "Alright. Can I go now?" Joshua's powers made it futile for him to reason with anyone.

"Telephone number?" Asa told him. "We'll be seeing you shortly, Asa." Asa stormed out of the office, and found Joshua standing only outside the door, a faint 'o' of surprise on his mouth.

"Thanks a lot, asshole." Joshua's smirk melted with a single, low feral growl from Asa. He pushed past Manfred, who waited in the lobby for him ("Asa! What's wrong? Asa, hey, come back! ASA!"), and ran out to his car, furious, and sped out of the parking lot, missing two pedestrians narrowly and running a stop sign.

"Asa? Are you alright?"

"Hi Asa!"

Asa ignored his family and walked silently up to his room, closed the door, turned off the lights, and flopped onto his bed.

:P


	3. Bite Me!

Magnetism

Chapter 3: Bite me!

Warnings: Bitterness. JOshua winning. Asa fuming. Manfred clueless. Above that, we're good to go.

Disclaimer: I can't remember if I ever did one of these, but I don't own CRK.

:P

Tuesday morning, Asa found himself unable to wake up, and missed the bus to Bloor's. His mother had to drive him. She wasn't too happy about that. Dr. Bloor requested his presence in his office again and Asa went with trudging feet. He passed Manfred on the way there, but the boy didn't even look up at him.

Asa knocked on the office door.

"Enter." Asa closed the door behind him. Dr. Bloor looked up at him. "Sit," he said irritably. As Asa seated himself, Dr. Bloor capped his pen, laced his fingers together and sighed. "What am I supposed to do with you, Asa? You're causing us more trouble than we can afford. What do you want me to do?"

"If this is about the art museum—"

"Don't get me started," Dr. Bloor snarled. "The curator notified me of your ignominious behaviour. Why don't you tell me what's going on between you and Joshua Tilpin?"

"He wants to kill me, sir," Asa replied without much sarcasm. There was no way in Hell Dr. Bloor was going to believe him, anyway.

"You keep saying that, but do you have any proof? No!" Asa shrank in his seat as the headmaster shouted the last word. "Honestly. I expect you to uphold a good, shining reputation for this school. And all you've done in the past week is tarnish it."

Asa sucked in his breath, held it, and let it out in a furious sigh.

"I want you to stop terrorising the boy."

"Then," Asa said quietly and angrily, "you make sure to tell him to stop terrorising _me._" He stood up. "Is that all you wanted, headmaster?"

"Sit." Asa sat back down. "I know this will break your little heart, but I don't know what else to do with you. I've decided to suspend you from school for two weeks. Do you think you can calm down in that time period and learn your place?" The headmaster's stare just fuelled his anger.

"Yes," he replied through clenched teeth. _I don't get it. Why is Tilpin affecting everyone in this God-forsaken world?_

"Good. Then take your things, call your mother and go home."

"What about my assignments—"

"Assignments?" Dr. Bloor laughed, a harsh barking sound. "It isn't worth your time. Now leave." Asa slammed the door behind him and stormed back up to the dormitory."

"Asa Pike!" Asa whirled around, seething.

"WHAT!" Manfred frowned at him.

"Where are you going? You're supposed to be in class."

"Your father just told me to leave," Asa sneered. "I think his authority overrides yours." He turned and put a foot on the next stair, but stopped when Manfred grabbed his shoulder.

"Asa? What's going on?"

"I'd tell you, but nobody seems to believe me, so I'll just keep my lying mouth shut, aye?"

Manfred's black holes of eyes tugged at his heart. "Asa…"

"Nobody believes that Tilpin framed me at the art museum, or about the window. Sure, it was my body, but I wasn't in control. He was." Manfred closed his eyes.

"Look, Asa, please. He—I mean, what do you want me to say to you?"

"I want you to believe me!" Asa felt his angry war horse start to break down. He bit his lip.

Manfred looked away. "I can't," he said quietly. "It's just that you have no proof to support your claims, and well, this has really gotten out of hand. I can't help you, Asa. Joshua says you're constantly picking on him."

Asa made an incredulous noise. "Great! And that makes one, two, three… seven! Seven people who say I'm lying! I'm on a losing streak! Great, let's go tell more lies and get suspended even longer! And let's all adore Joshua Tilpin because he does no wrong." Asa grimaced at him. "I thought you at least could have tried to believe me. You're not even trying. I…just…_GOD_, Manfred!" he whispered, and turned away and ran up the stairs to his dormitory.

"No running!" Manfred yelled automatically.

"FUCK YOU!" was Asa's reply.

Manfred mentally kicked himself and started back down the stairs, feeling helpless and worthless and hopeless, and hungry. Food. Distraction. Let me at it.

"Hey, Mom? Yeah, Dr. Bloor just suspended me for two weeks and he wants you to come pick me up."

"Oh, God, Asa, honestly…"

"Thanks. I'll be waiting by the door."

"Don't you have some _teacher_ to _assist?_" Asa said snidely to the footsteps behind him.

"I don't assist teachers, child." Weedon stuck a key in the giant door and pulled it open. Asa's mother was waiting in her car.

"Sorry, sir, I thought you were someone else."

Weedon looked up at him, and shook his head. "You and him are always fighting. I don't know what you see in that skinny bastard…"

Asa paused for a moment, a shadow of sadness passing over his face. "You know, sometimes I don't either."

"Maybe you should find a girl."

Asa frowned, and skipped down the stairs and put his suitcase in the trunk. He got in the car and watched the oak doors squeak shut. "Hi, Mom."

"Hi, Asa." They drove in silence for a while, and finally Mrs. Pike said, "Asa, are you sure you want to stay at this school? I mean, it's only ever caused you problems."

"I'll always have problems."

Celia glanced at her son's brooding frown, and said quietly, "You didn't have so many problems at Otter Creek."

"Mom, that was an elementary school."

"I know…You weren't doing that bad at Wilmington."

"I don't know." Asa stared out at the passing buildings and people. "I'm not sure if I'd want to go back." He could make some new friends, sure, but the past would always haunt him. He'd never be safe anywhere.

The car pulled into the driveway and Asa lugged his suitcase inside. Christian was taking a nap on the floor in front of the television, powering up for his afternoon kindergarten class. Grandma Florence looked up from her knitting and squinted at him from the couch.

"Asa! What a nice surprise! Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

"I got suspended."

Grandma Florence almost had a heart attack. "Suspended!"

"For something I didn't do and was blamed for. One of the kids has this power of magnetism that makes weak minds completely fall for his sweet-angel act." Asa glared at the television. "It's sick. I'm not sure if I'm ever going back. And Manfred can rot in Hell."

"Your friend?"

"He was, once."

Grandma Florence and Celia Pike shared shrugs and worried looks as Asa trudged up the stairs.

"Asa, it's for you!"

Asa picked up the phone and said apathetically, "Yeah?"

"Hey, Asa." Asa closed his eyes angrily. It was a voice he knew and used to love. Asa could feel his heart starting to fray at the edges, and in the corners, tear.

"I don't want to talk to you," he said, voice quavering. "We have nothing more to say to each other, okay? So stop calling me."

The phone rang again after he hung up.

"Don't answer that," he told his mother, rubbing his stinging nose.

"Is everything all right?"

"Fine."

…..R&R, kids.


	4. Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Magnetism

Chapter 4

by the deFamine Sisters

Notes: I don't own CRK, but I own a wonderful wonderful best of Queen CD! Which I've been listening to a lot lately, which may explain all the weirdo writings I've been doing. o.O; Yeah. So anyway.

:P

Chapter 4: Crazy Little Thing Called Love

:P

"Mom." Celia Pike looked up. "I've decided to go back to Wilmington. I don't think I can take all this being thrown around. Nobody appreciates me at Bloor's. So I don't think I can stay there." Asa sat down at the table and helped his mother peel potatoes.

Celia watched her son diligently peeling the potatoes, and smiled sadly. "If you're sure that's what you want--"

"I'm sure."

"Well, alright then. But you can't keep switching back and forth, you know. This will be the last time you transfer unless we have to move or something."

Asa's yellow eyes slowly rose to meet hers. "I'm not ever going back. They're not going to like it, but I'm not. I can't take it anymore."

"They?"

"The Bloors. My endowment isn't anything they have to keep watch over anyway," Asa mumbled, sucking his thumb where he had nicked it with his knife. The lines on his face betrayed his fury and worry.

Celia had an idea. "Can you run an errand for me? I need a few things from the grocer's."

"Sure." She handed Asa the list and he slipped into his shoes by the door. "I think I'll take my bike, get some fresh air."

"Be careful."

"I will," he said, without looking back. The door slammed.

:P

Note in pocket, cruising down a hill with the wind whipping his hair around his face, Asa felt better than he had in ages. He felt free, and happy. Wow. There's something that hadn't run through his mind in a while. Happy. He was actually pretty happy. Content, maybe, but it was still pretty happy.

He smiled, and hummed a song, nothing in particular, just a happy little ditty off the top of his head. He kicked the kickstand into place and took the note out of his pocket.

_1 head of lettuce_

_3 tomatoes_

_wild rice_

_spaghetti_

_paprika_

_and a smile for you, Asa -- don't come home without it:)_

_love, mom_

He smiled, and stepped into the shop.

:P

"That all for you, dear?"

"Yes," said Asa, taking a note out of his pocket.

"Well, lookie here." Asa didn't bother to turn around. He knew that voice, and wasn't intent on talking to its owner. "Hey, Asa!" Damn to hell the world of manners.

"Joshua."

A kind old lady smiled at him from behind the boy. "Is this your friend, Joshie?"

"We've never been on what one could call friendly terms, Mrs...?"

"Tilpin. I'm Joshie's grandmother."

"Nice to meet you." Asa stared at Josh. "You have fun at Bloor's. I may not see you again." He rushed out the door, and, with groceries in his backpack, he pedalled furiously for home, dropped off the food, and took to the streets again.

His travels led him to an open, airy park. He sat down under a tree with the bike lying on its side. He leaned his head back onto the bark and sighed, closed his eyes. Well, at least he wouldn't have to worry about that little mistake of nature ever again when he went to Wilmington.

Jeebles cripes.

:P

"Aren't you two friends anymore?"

"No."

"How come?" Christian swung his legs underneath the chair.

"Because. We aren't. Now shut up." He stole a glance behind him. "Stop kicking the table."

Celia had had a meeting with some important executives, and so Asa was stuck making Christian their dinner. Salad, and spaghetti with mushrooms. Christian loved mushrooms.

"Did he make you angry?"

Asa turned around threateningly and shook the spaghetti fork at him. "Look, kid, it's none of your business. Manfred and I are not friends anymore, and we never will be again. It's over. Kaput. Finito. Now please, STOP asking."

Christian looked sadly at the table and stopped asking questions.

:P

Asa looked up. "Come in."

Celia smiled sadly at him. "Hi," she said quietly. She sat down on the end of his bed and picked up the love-worn teddy bear he kept there for sentimental reasons. She hugged it tightly. Asa watched his mother.

"Hi."

"I just wanted to make sure you're not doing this because you had another fight with Manfred." Asa didn't want to meet her eyes.

"I'm not doing it because I had a fight with Manfred. I hate the place." He sighed, and closed his notebook. He looked her in the eye and continued, "Besides, there's a better art teacher at Wilmington. He really knows what he's doing. I've seen a lot of the student work." He smiled, trying to put her worried frown at ease.

She gave him a sad smile. "Well, as long as it's really what you want. You're old enough to decide for yourself..." She put Buttons back on the bed and waved goodbye. Once Asa's door closed, he stared at the cover of his notebook, where he had carved "AP & MB" inside a heart. He snorted. Ah, sentiments.

He set to work tearing the cover into bits and burning it with a candle, a grim smile on his face, finally feeling a weird sense of satisfaction watching the paper writhe in the searing grip of the flames.

He sat back and watched the heart burn, an odd smile on his face, accented by the light of the flame. There. Burn in hell, Manfred.

"That goes for you, too, Joshie. Burn together. It's what you've always wanted, isn't it, you little bastard?" He chuckled darkly.

Suddenly, the laughter stopped. Asa stared at the candle with a glare, blew out the candle, and went downstairs to watch a mindless kids' movie with Christian.

:P

End Chapter 4

:P

Weeeeeellll?

Gerbil: I'm so happy, I've gotten reviews!

Silver: OH MY GOD WHERE DID YOU COME FROM!

Gerbil: (giggles)

Yusuke: Suchan found a bobby pin and unlocked the box of old memories, and she just... I couldn't stop her. -.-;

Suchan: YAY!

Silver: So anyway, let me know if you like this so far. :D


	5. We Missed You

Magnetism

Chapter 5: We Missed You

by the deFamine Sisters

Silver: We're on a roll! Suchan spent her entire Algebra period writing most of this chapter, and most of her world history, too. However, I was able to take some much needed notes, so don't worry about her parents grounding her from the computer. :D

Suchan: Thank you, oh Lady Foghorn-for-a-mouth! Oh, and another important note, the text edit box on **IS NOT WORKING FOR ME SO PLEASE SEE MY HOMEPAGE FOR UPDATES ON STORIES AND BIO AND STUFF! THANK YOU!**

Silver: (is not amused) Now who's got a foghorn for a mouth?

Gerbil: SUCHAN! HAHAHAHAHA! (falls off the couch, giggling)

Yusuke: (turns the camera on the film projector and situates his chair to watch it)

:P

Chapter 5: We Missed You

:P

"All set?" Asa smiled, albeit weakly. Celia had forced him to wear something silghtly acceptable, as in, pants whose hems don't drag, t-shirt whose logo won't give Grandma Florence another heart attack... Asa donned his tweed coat and cap and sat in the car with his bag at his feet.

Neither Christian nor Celia nor Asa talked the whole way there, which was unusual. Normally, there would have been an animated conversation about something which was not so important. Asa's nerves were wound too tight for light small talk. They dropped Christian off at his kindergarten class and proceeded to Wilmington High. Celia looked over at her son.

"You okay?"

"Just nervous," said Asa, fiddling with a button on his coat. He was worried about how the kids were going to accept him, if at all, again. He worried about dale. Where was his locker that wouldn't shut tight? Who would be his locker buddy? His stomach churned in high gear as the Pike's car parked outside the school--Wilmington. 'Oh, God,' thought Asa, and slung his bag over his arm.

He dug out his schedule. 1: English- Plank- 104. 2: Chemistry II-Skulle-109. 3: Lunch, cafeteria. 4: Art-Boldova-121. 5: French-Lanphier-119. Locker 46, Blue hallway. Combo 27-3-15.

"Asa?" Asa looked up. His mom motioned at him to hurry.

"I'm coming."

:P

There was a knock. "Manfred?" Another knock. "Manfred, will you _please _ open the door?" The black-eyed boy stayed silent, staring at the empty blotter on his desk, knees hugged to his chest. The lights were off. "Manfred, if you don't open this door, I swear to the Most High, I will--"

"Will what?" Manfred's bark was the clatter of a knife skidding down a stone hallway, echoing off the silent walls. "You can't do anything to me if you can't reach me."

"Sooner or later, you'll get hungry."

"Prefect's fridge."

"Lavatory."

"Prefect's bathroom." Manfred's sing-song tone was doing nothing to improve the headmaster's mood.

"Schoolwork."

Manfred rolled his eyes. "You assume that I care."

"You had better, child, or you'll be shipped off to St. Peregrine's. Listen, I'm sorry your little lover left you--"

"No you're not," Manfred hissed with more venom than a black mamba.

"You have to stop brooding. It isn't _HELPING _anybody!"

"What would you know?" Manfred shouted, slamming his fist on the desk and standing up. "You've never loved anyone—_anyone_-- but yourself!" The reality of those words hit Manfred like a runaway Maglev train. Neither of them had cared much when Dorothy left, but when Manfred had fallen for Asa, his heart of icy steel had melted, making him almost human.

Reluctantly, Manfred left the desk and hovered about five metres from the door.

"And see where it's gotten me, Manfred," Dr. Bloor said quietly. "I've never needed any love."

'Loveless ness turned you into a bastard,' thought Manfred. However, Dr. Bloor continued, "What about that girl from the dance? What happened to her?" Re: "The Dress"...read it if you want to know what he's talking about.

Manfred debated whether to humour his father or hit him with the hammer o truth. He opted for humour. Only, the only one laughing was Manfred. "She was from far away. I doubt I'll ever see her again."

Dr. Bloor sighed. "Will you please open the door?"

"No." Manfred turned to a table filled with candles, and lit five of them. "I don't want to talk with you because we have nothing more to talk about. Please leave." Bloor's fury was probably eating away at him, and Manfred smiled like a maniac.

:P

"Good to have you back, Asa!" Mr. Plank, his new English teacher sang. "Will you be staying for good this time?"

"Yessir," said Asa, with not a small smile. He winked at Dale, who grinned back at him.

"Alright," Plank continued, "let's have another round of the welcome song!" An outburst of emotion broke out, either singing (Plank), laughing (Asa), or groaning and sinking down in their seats (Dale). Asa laughed along, feeling so much better, and Manfred shrank farther to the back of his mind.

:P

"Forty-six. Our locker! Kinda nice they didn't assign me another locker buddy, huh?" Dale gave the paper back to Asa, who smiled. "Man, everybody missed you beginning of last semester. They were all, 'Where's Asa?'" Dale looked at him. "D'jou go back to Bloor's?"

"Yeah," Asa said without much enthusiasm. Dale watched Asa's yellow eyes follow the posters lining the hall, filled with emotional fury. He kindly stopped asking questions and let Asa open the locker. Asa deposited his English book and they waited until the hallway was semi-navigable to head to Dr. Skulle's room.

Asa tried to lose his nerves in a quiet, deep exhale, and Dale gripped his shoulder. "You'll get used to it." He smiled a different smile from the ones he used when there were other people around. This was softer, and sweeter, and more friendly if that were at all possible. "Off to the Headhunter's room!"

"Headhunter?" said Asa worriedly. Dale turned and laughed.

"It's just a nickname. Come on, we'll be late." Asa found his insides lit by a cheery warmth as Dale grabbed his hand and dragged him down a seemingly labyrinth of hallways. Maybe this won't be so terribly bad after all.

:P

End Chapter 5

:P

Gerbil: Wow, you guys are on a roll! You're butter! (cackles)

Yusuke: Sweet Jesus, no. STOP. All these lame jokes have to STOPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!

(crickets chirp in the abcense of speech)

Yusuke: -o.o- (blush) sorry.

Silver: So, anyway, review, guys, it'll make Gerbil happy.

Gerbil: YAY! –Oh yeah, and just in case you didn't know, I'm not really a Gerbil, I'm an annoying little five-year-old girl! Bye! (throws cookies at the readers and goes off to annoy Manfred!)


	6. Wilmington Redux

Chapter 6: Wilmington Redux

By Twelve and Suchan, who are back! =D (have been trying to keep this more PG-13. Been writing a lot of smut lately. Which is fun, but a bit inappropriate for this story, I think.)

Asa smiled. He'd been doing that a lot lately. The world seemed sunnier out from the deathly shadow of Bloor's Academy. And being around Dale tended to brighten things up too. The boy was a lightbulb, a sun, a midnight bonfire. He had scared whatever demons had been encroaching on Asa's heart away. Asa painted a few more strokes into the face and decided it was finished.

He stood back and looked. Dale joined him in the staring. He grinned, and leaned his head on Asa's shoulder. "Hey, you made me look pretty." Asa rolled his eyes at him good-naturedly.

"That's because you _are_ pretty, sweetie." Dale smiled softly and looked back up at Asa. "What's that look for?" Asa laughed. "I wouldn't have painted you if you weren't."

Dale's lips sought Asa's cheek, and gently perched for a moment like a wing of softest feathers. Asa felt his face grow warm. "Dale...?"

"Sorry, I just... you're incredible, Asa." Dale shrugged helplessly at him. "I've always thought so. That's... why I like you so much. You're talented and warm and funny, and gorgeous too." He smiled. Asa looked suddenly nervous. Dale's face fell at bit. "That's just how I feel, you know, it's not necessary to reciprocate." Asa was having trouble breathing. His mind was racing.

"I... I don't quite know how I feel right now, Dale," he whispered. Dale nodded.

"It's ok, Asa, if you don't feel the same. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have just blurted it out. I'll.. I'll go. And talk to you tomorrow?" Asa nodded, and watched him leave with a veritable yarn-tangle of emotions, both drawing him to run after the boy, and some leaving him tied to the table he sat on.

In the end he was torn asunder, unable to choose exactly what it was he wanted. People and events still freshly skinned raw and worrisome in his heart, Asa begged his mind to go blank, at least for a while. He sat against the wall and stared out the windows until the light faded and the janitor came in to lock up.

Old Mike walked in, and started when he saw Asa sitting near the door. "You scared me, son. You still working tonight? I gotta lock up."

"No, I'm going. Sorry." Mike took off his cap to wipe his brow, staring at the canvas.

"You do good work." Asa smiled lopsidedly at him. And then he was gone.

He was running. The cold air hurt his lungs, but Asa pressed on, still feeling like he couldn't go fast enough. It took forever to reach Dragon Street, and Asa slowed, reading house numbers. 455. He'd been here a few times to work on school projects or hanging out during the lazy summers. But in the dark, out of breath and scared shaking, Asa stood with words that far surpassed any presentation or paper.

He rang the bell of the red brick house with smart blue shutters. A lady answered the door, her face looking sour until she recognized the lean, distraught face. "Oh, hi Asa! Are you alright?"

"Er, yeah," he said, rearranging his face a bit. "I just need to talk to Dale for a minute."

"Come on in. I think he's up in his room." Asa stepped into the foyer and rubbed his cold hands together. "Dale, Asa's here to see you!" she yelled up the stairs. She graced Asa with one of her gentle, warm smiles Asa had learned was a family trait. Asa headed up the stairs, wondering if this was ok, doing this on his turf instead of neutral territory.

Dale was waiting in the doorway. "Hey, Asa."

"Hey." Asa stood a few feet away. He took a moment to gather his courage. "I wanted to apologise for being like that earlier. I just had a ton of things going through my head and I think my brain shut down." Dale motioned for him to come in and sit down. They sat next to each other on the floor.

"You know I just got out of that mess with Manfred and the academy. I'm still a little messed up inside and although I'm furious at him," Asa chanced a look at Dale, "I'm not sure if I'm still completely over him." He took Dale's hand. "But I like _you._ A lot." Asa grinned while Dale blushed faintly. "You're so full of sunshine and being around you makes me happier than I can ever remember being."

Asa stifled an "aww" as Dale blushed even darker and ducked his head to hide a grin. He looked up, blue eyes glowing. "I'm glad to hear it."

"I just wasn't sure if I was able to be fair to you at first, but if this is where you want to go, I don't really want to say no," Asa said quietly, caressing Dale's hand with his thumb. He looked up at the other boy. Dale was grinning from ear to ear.

"Do I have to say please?"

"Just say yes."

"Yes, _please!"_ Asa chuckled and pulled Dale into a kiss, both sweet and hungry, tingly and lingering. And Asa was glad to find that Dale tasted exactly like he expected sunshine should.

"Manfred?" The black eyes were unfocused and aimed towards the windows. Manfred blinked.

"Joshua?" Manfred lazily drew his gaze from the stained-glass windows to the anxious-looking boy in front of him.

"I got the books you wanted, Manfred." Joshua set the books down lightly on Manfred's desk and waited.

Manfred peered at them, not feeling particularly roused to go through them at the moment. "Where's the other alchemical one?"

"(library woman) said it was already checked out. I'm sorry," Joshua said, shifting his feet. He wished Manfred would look _at_ him instead of anywhere but. If only Manfred would do more than just acknowledge him! He looked down at the head boy's lean body reclining in his carved-wood desk chair. "Are you alright?"

Manfred finally met Joshua's eyes. "What makes you think I'm not alright, Joshua?" Manfred asked in a mild, quiet tone. Josh's face became a bit sad.

"You're very quiet and far away anymore. It's like your body's here but your mind is a million miles away. You don't seem to be anything but sad, or even numb," he said hesitantly. He was surprised to see Manfred's face stretch into something slightly amused. It was more emotion than he'd shown in a week, since Asa left.

"Have you been watching me that much, Joshua?" The boy turned pink, and pushed a lock of hair behind his ear.

"Well, I mean, not watching exactly, but I've, uh, I've.. I do take notice of you." Josh bit his lip. "I rather wish I could cheer you up somehow." He watched Manfred's suddenly sparkling black eyes.

"What do you have in mind, Joshua?" The boy shivered inwardly at the way his name rolled off the hypnotist's tongue. He felt slightly like he was being toyed with. He grabbed at that and drew it even further towards himself.

"I don't know, Manfred. I was wondering if there was anything you wanted, something I could do for you or something..." He trailed off, feeling helpless except for that strand of playfulness he had caught from the head boy. Manfred smiled mischievously, faintly. An idea had popped into his head, wonderful and terrible at the same time.

Joshua grabbed frantically at it and pulled it to the forefront of Manfred's mind, surrounding it with positivity. His eyes remained curious and alert.

"Come here, Joshua." Manfred pulled him onto his lap and wrapped his arms around Joshua's waist. The magnetist's heart was pounding. Was it working? Manfred grinned, face barely centimetres from Josh's. "Kiss me." Joshua grinned, and kissed Manfred gently. Manfred responded with a hunger that surprised and aroused both of them; Manfred pulled Joshua on top of him. Josh pulled away, feeling nervous.

"Er, Manfred..." The hypnotist's face was somewhat annoyed that they'd stopped, but also had traces of playfulness. He let his hands wander to Joshua's backside and caress and squeeze his buttocks. Joshua blushed.

"You were the one who started this, Joshua," came the sultry murmur in his ear. Joshua blushed even deeper as Manfred's voice and hands were only making him harder. And it was impossible not to notice Manfred's hard member pressing into his through their pants. He moaned softly, and pressed his lips to Manfred's neck. Manfred began kneading his ass aggressively, pushing Josh's hips onto his own.

Just as Joshua was really getting into it, Manfred pushed him away with a grin. Joshua blinked. "Class starts in 20 minutes, Joshua." Josh's spine tingled. "You should go get ready. And probably take care of _that._" He pointed at Josh's crotch. The boy blushed.

"Yes, Manfred." Manfred grinned, feeling terribly predatory.

"Come see me after homework, Joshua." Joshua grinned a bit at him and shut the door. Manfred rubbed absentmindedly at his pants after the door had clicked shut. This could be a fun distraction from the endless numbness freezing his heart back into the icy wasteland it had been before he'd met Asa...

Yay/nay? Let me know :3 This will be completed. I have the plot outlined now. It's just a matter of getting it written lol. Next, everyone's favorite sparkling art teacher returns!


	7. Worrywart

Magnetism

Chapter 7: Worrywart

Notes: The lovely Sam Boldova/Sparks belongs to Mrs Nimmo unfortunately, but I've borrowed him especially for this chapter :3 And others, but we'll get there.

-Scene markers have been changed to X's. I'd forgotten FFN doesn't "do" asterisks. Sigh. Anyway, enjoy, and if you read, review at least to say "Hey I read this". Please?

-X-

Asa had already started marking in his sketchbook. His indiscriminate scribbles soon took the form of two misshapen figures frozen in the midst of a circular dance. He let their fingers grow into twigs and branches, rooting their feet to the ground. His mind sparked, and he dug in his bookbag for colored pencils.

He looked up as footsteps sounded on the classroom floor and the class's chatter subsided. He couldn't help but smile a bit at the teacher's grinning face, recovering from his obvious bout of flustration. Rustling papers settled on his desk.

"Sorry I'm late everyone," Sam said cheerily, "took forever to get my turn at the copier so I could make you each your very own copy of the thing you just love about the first day of school." He started counting out syllabi for each of the rows.

Asa watched him patter around the room excitedly. Sam caught his eye and smiled briefly. Asa looked back down at his sketchbook while listening to him go over the syllabus. It had been quite some time since he disappeared after that Invisible Ira or whatever his name was incident. Asa hadn't paid too much attention to the details on that one. But the man hadn't changed much apart from seeming happier (but being outside of Bloor's forever will do that to anyone). He was still tan and gorgeous and congenial and Asa was having a hard time keeping a blush down.

"Asa," Sam called as the students got up at the bell. "See you for a minute?" Asa packed up his bag and walked somewhat nervously over to the board where he was standing. He needn't have worried, though. Sam was smiling. "It's been a while. You escaped from the Academy?"

Asa's face darkened. "Sort of a long story." Sam nodded, and quickly switched to a different tack.

"I've seen your work from Fischer's class. You've really taken wing, Asa." Sam's gentle smile elicited a deep blush from the wolf boy.

"Thanks," he whispered. "I know last time I was in your class I was still just doing graphite." They talked a while more, Asa feeling more and more comfortable in the man's warm presence, when Sam's eyes suddenly snapped to the clock.

"Asa, you'd better go, I don't want to make you late for class." Asa waved it off.

"It's cool, just lunch." Sam smiled.

"I'll talk to you later, then." Asa waved, and headed for the cafeteria. He was probably late meeting Dale already.

X

"You alright, Asa?" Asa's eyes swung up slowly to meet Dale's. He nodded. "You seem really far away today." Dale curled an arm around Asa's shoulders and hugged him.

"Just thinking about the past. Not really a good idea," he said quietly with a sarcastic grin, "but can't be helped much." Dale leaned his head on Asa's and hugged his shoulders.

"I'm here if you need ears, love," Dale whispered into Asa's hair. Asa shut his eyes, trying to keep his mind here, in the present, with Dale and sunshine and good feeling and hugs and love and—

X

There was silence for a moment. "That Tilpin kid seems pretty dangerous," Sam finally muttered, pouring creamer into his coffee. Asa sipped his own, perched on a stool in front of an easel. "Doesn't bode well for the other kids."

Asa shrugged. "I don't feel much like caring about them anymore. Any of them." Sam caught his eye. "I'm here now, I'm not there. They can go to hell."

"I thought that's what Bloor's was," Sam remarked, eyes sparkling. Asa grinned up at him. He motioned to the canvas with a loaded brush. "Those greys are a little odd for the shading, Asa. Are you using blue at all?"

Asa shook his head. "Didn't like how it looked against the other colors."

"Hm." Sam took a gulp of his creamer-with-a-bit-of-coffee. "Well, we'll see how it looks when you're done. It's your work after all." They stared at it a bit longer. Asa stood and placed his brushes in the tray, ready to leave for his next class.

"Mr. Sparks?" Sam glanced over at him slyly.

"You can just call me Sam when we're alone, Asa," he said quietly, smiling. Asa smiled back, glad he was somewhat sunburned so _Sam_ wouldn't notice the blush.

"Sam, then." He paused, looked back at the canvas and then at the teacher's tan face. "I'm really glad you're here."

"Me too, Asa." There was a pregnant silence as they eyed each other's lips. Asa looked away, and stepped back. He grinned nervously.

"I'll see you later then." Sam waved at him, watched him go. He sighed. He really needed to be more careful. Asa was attractive, and it was so terribly obvious that it was mutual. He'd seen Asa with Dale, and it was beautiful. He didn't want to wreck something that was beneficial to Asa, though the temptation stood fast in his mind…his heart.

He didn't like admitting it to himself, but despite being surrounded by color and wonderful art and promising students, he felt lonely as hell.

Sam leaned back in his desk chair, staring off at the board on the back wall. Exhaled pointedly. No, he was going to have to be careful. He was supposed to be helping the students, not ruining them.

He rubbed his eyes under his glasses. But damnit it was going to be hard.

X

Asa grinned, triumphantly. Sam smiled at the finished canvas. "You know, I kind of like the pure grey. It works."

"Told you so," Asa said with a chuckle. He went to wash out his brushes. "I'm going to go ahead and start the next one tonight." Sam looked at the painting carefully, and wondered aloud, "Asa, have you had anything up in a gallery yet?" Asa looked up from the sink.

"Not yet, why?"

"Ought to, the way you paint. I know a guy down by the grocers owns a little gallery. Gets a lot of traffic. If you're serious about being a painter you've got to get your name out there." Asa walked slowly back over to the easel. Put his hands on his hips.

Asa mulled this over for a minute, then looked over at Sam. "Got a business card, then?" Sam went to his desk and got it for him. Asa felt slightly electrified when their fingers touched. He looked up innocently into Sam's hungry eyes. Asa couldn't stand it; he was giving in.

Tiptoes pressed his lips into Sam's, soft and fluttery. _Oh god, what were they—_Asa wound his arms around Sam's neck as Sam pulled Asa closer to him, his hands warm and firm on the boy's back. Sam found himself gripping Asa's tshirt tightly and kissing just as furiously as he was being kissed. Asa was pulling the elastic from Sam's ponytail and tangling his fingers in the soft brown hair. He moaned as Sam gently bit at his lip, then worked kisses down his chin and across his jaw, lingering at the sensitive spot just below Asa's ear. "Sam…"

Asa held him tighter as his lips gently sought a path down Asa's neck. He began to nibble at Asa's shoulder, but suddenly stopped. "Asa…" Asa's yellow eyes opened to Sam's pained face staring up at him. "We shouldn't be doing this. I could lose my job, you could lose your boyfriend…"

Asa sighed, and shook himself slightly. "Yeah, I know. You're right. I'm sorry, I just." He let go of Sam and stood awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "I don't know why I…"

Sam smiled sadly at him. "It was halfway my fault, Asa. I should be setting a good example." Asa nodded.

"Sorry." He slung his bag over a shoulder and nodded again to himself. "I oughta… oughta go I guess. Class soon." Sam nodded.

"See you later, Asa. And don't forget about that card."

"I won't." As Asa walked out of sight, Sam began the mental self-kicking. God, he really wasn't cut out for this sometimes.

X

Asa looked up and smiled as Dale's footsteps sounded off the sidewalk towards him. "Took you long enough," he said quietly. Dale smiled gently at him and kissed him on the nose.

"You know how Planck's tests are, though." Asa ruffled Dale's chocolate brown hair and looked at him thoughtfully, his eyes far away. A twinge of pain shot through them, and Asa pulled Dale to him. Dale wrapped his arms around Asa, wondering where his mind was going.

"Dale," Asa whispered finally, "I love you. I love you like crazy. I don't want you to think I don't if I seem a little distant. I just have a lot on my mind right now."

Dale nodded into his shoulder, stroking Asa's back gently. "I know, Asa. And don't forget, I love you too." Asa turned Dale's face to his own and kissed him forcefully, tears being siphoned into Dale's mouth from his lips; Dale couldn't bring himself to care about the slight taste of salt. Asa looked at him sadly, when he'd pulled away. Dale's blue eyes were burning a hole in him, unintentionally, but burning all the same. Asa closed his eyes as Dale's thumb wiped the liquid from his cheek.

"I can't tell you everything right now," he said, holding his lover's face in his hand, "but I will soon." _Once I get my head back on straight, I'll tell you everything. You don't deserve any less than that._

-X-

Review please, let me know how I'm doing.!

Twelve: So. AsaxSam: yay or gross?

Suchan: Do we like Dale? What? Talk to us!

Twelve: I love you. (Twelve clings to your arm) I'll give you cookies. Please?

Suchan: ;.; You can't give away my cookies to people…


End file.
